Liberty Bancshares Inc.

Wallace Fowler, the Jonesboro businessman who built and sold multiple banks and led robust KFC and Taco Bell franchises, died Wednesday. He was 87. read more >

She's remembered for her philanthropy and her business ventures with husband Wallace. read more >

The Federal Reserve has approved two previously announced acquisitions by Simmons First National Corp., the publicly traded bank holding company revealed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission on Thursday. read more >

Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff is buying yet another bank, Liberty Bancshares Inc. of Springfield, Missouri. Per the deal, Simmons First will acquire all outstanding common stock of Liberty in an all-stock transaction valued at about $206.9 million. read more >

Home BancShares Inc. of Conway on Thursday announced another record quarterly profit as it continues to integrate the operations of Liberty Bancshares Inc. of Jonesboro. read more >

The number of high-value mergers and acquisitions in Arkansas — those believed to be worth $9 million or more — dropped in 2013 to 73 compared with 80 in 2012. But the number of really high-value deals — those worth $100 million or more — jumped from 14 in 2012 to 26 in 2013. read more >

The Conway holding company of Centennial Bank reports fourth-quarter profit of $13 million and full-year profit of $66.5 million. read more >

Total bank deposits in Arkansas declined by about a half-percent in the 12 months that ended June 30, but that certainly doesn’t mean the state’s banking industry is stagnant. read more >